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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Day 10 - Paradise Cafe!

Day 10
May 4, 2012
Miles: 23
Total Miles: 157

Tarzan and Little Steps cooking up trail magic

I did eighteen miles before one o'clock and it was so worth it!! Seeing the highway from a few miles back up the trail, I noticed a couple of campers and tents - trail angels! As I limped toward Highway 78 and the tents, Tarzan and Little Steps asked me - "would you like an omelet?" Well...how do you answer that when you just hiked eighteen miles over some of the driest terrain so far on the trail with only food bars and nut mix to feed your hunger? I dropped my pack and Tarzan handed me a mushroom spinach omelet wrapped in a tortilla and topped with salsa. Little Steps handed me a margarita. These guys must get a kick out of seeing the faces of dirty staggering hikers come to the end of a trail when they have just been handed what he/she desires most in the world. I got a laugh from the others when I exclaimed enthusiastically, "Why yes I WOULD like an omelet!" Dr. Sol also had his tent setup and was doing foot repair for in-need hikers. My feet, other than being sore and sensitive, were fine. No blisters yet!

What drove me to do these 18 miles before lunch, however, was a little place down the highway called Paradise Cafe. The thought of this place and the lore of the "best burger on the trail" had been fueling me for the entire morning. After the omelet and margarita, I walked the half-mile to the cafe and ordered a chocolate milk and a "Jose Burger" with sweet potato fries, and a Paradise Amber beer to wash it down. All was VERY Delicious!

At 5 o'clock, I begrudgingly left the tents at the highway and ambled down the trail another two hours where I camped near the trail.